Dr Niamh Gaynor, DCU, will explain what austerity policies involve in general with a specific focus on their impact on women in African countries. Niamh will also draw parallels with women in Ireland.

Sinead Pentony, head of policy, TASC, will deconstruct the treaty itself, explain how it differs from Nice, Lisbon and other EU treaties and analyse its effects on the most marginalised in our society.

Clare Daly, TD, ULA, will examine the outcome of four years of austerity and explain why she is calling for a No vote in the forthcoming referendum.

The paper below on the Fiscal Compact (Austerity) Treaty, dated 12th April, was prepared for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions executive by General Secretary David Begg following the ICTU executive committee meeting of 9th March.

It seems that the blackmail clause is necessary for David Begg too. In a paper which is 80% a useful demolition of the Treaty from a social democratic point of view, an excuse that the wording does not really copper fasten austerity and, especially, the projected inaccessibility of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) for a second bail out following a rejection, leads to the conclusion, encapsulated in the final sentence:

“While the treaty is wrong from our economic and social perspective it becomes hard to oppose it unless a satisfactory alternative to the ESM can be advanced.”

It appears that his will be the leading proposal to go before the relevant ICTU executive meeting for…